Going Home
by CaptainTwigs
Summary: (Continuation to Count On Me) Taylor is becoming quite comfortable in her role as Rossi's daughter. She's back in school, she's making new friends. Everything is going well, until another unsub decides to mess with kids. Dave now understands the constant worry Hotch and JJ both go through, especially with the unsub hunting near Quantico.
1. Chapter 1

**(Hey y'all! Welcome to the sequel of Count On Me! I hope y'all enjoy! As always, I love y'all. Now let's go ahead and get into this, shall we?)**

David Rossi had adopted his daughter about a month ago. Taylor Wilson's name was legally changed to Taylor Rossi. The seven year old was settling well into her new life. Sure there were ups and downs, but that was to be expected, especially with the trauma she had experienced.

After Rossi had adopted her, he brought her home and let her pick which room she wanted and just how she wanted it decorated. She asked for almost the exact same things that were in her old room back in Springfield. She wanted calming grey walls and soccer stickers to hang up everywhere.

Sure she had to leave all of her friends back in Illinois, but she still asked for those pictures too, as well as a few new ones. She made sure that she took a picture with everyone on the BAU team so she could remember everyone who helped her along the way. Rossi, of course, was in more than a couple pictures.

There were nights when she woke up screaming as she remembered everything that had happened that night. Watching her parents die right in front of her. Remembering the words that he had spoken to her.

Every time Rossi would come in without hesitation and calm her. He would let her talk it out if she wanted to, but most of the times she would rather just bury her face into his chest, remembering how that man was gone and that she was safe now. She was home.

Rossi took about a week off work. He had wanted to make sure she was settled and happy before he even thought about heading back. Hotch understood. Neither of them really told the team what Dave had done after that case. Hotch always just said that he decided to take a leave to figure a few things out. Nobody argued. Everyone agreed that Rossi deserved some time off.

When he finally came back, he brought his daughter with him. He wanted to leave her at Hotch's house with Jack and Haley's sister, but she was determined to come with no matter what and ended up persuading him. She really wanted to meet the people who saved her and put away her parent's killer.

He asked Hotch first if it would be okay if she could scope the place out a bit. His friend agreed, despite the possible idea of a case.

Taylor had never experienced Rossi leaving for days at a time for work yet. He wasn't sure if he was ready for her to feel what it was like, but he had already worked out a plan for when it did happen.

She would live at Hotch's house for the time being until Rossi could come back and could pick her up. Hotch was the one who actually offered it, since neither of them had a spouse to look after their children.

* * *

 _When Rossi brought Taylor into the BAU it was as if the whole atmosphere had changed. He walked in, her hand in his._

 _Reid was the first to look up. Once he caught sight of the child, his face brightened up. He lightly tapped Morgan on the shoulder and pointed to the pair as they walked up._

 _Morgan smiled. He stood up, his hands in his hips. "Well there he is." He looked down at Taylor. "I don't believe we've met." He took a knee so that he was more eye level with her and held out his hand. His voice was soft and kind. "Derek Morgan." He smiled at her._

 _"Taylor...Rossi." She responded with a small smile. It was amazing somebody's demeanor changed when they felt safe. She still wasn't over her parents death, nothing like that. Dave just helped her look past it sometimes. He would talk her through it, telling her just how proud her parents would be of her. How they would always be watching her, happy when she was happy, grieving with her, and so on._

 _Neither Hotch nor Rossi spoke of the adoption, but they were profilers so they kind of figured Rossi would end up doing something along the lines of adopting Taylor. As soon as she said Dave's last name as hers, Morgan looked up at the older man with a smile._

 _"It's nice to meet you, Taylor. How about I introduce you to the rest of the team?" He offered, looking up at Rossi to make sure it was okay._

 _Taylor, too, turned around to look up at her guardian._

 _He nodded. "Of course!" He squeezed her shoulder. "I'll be up in Uncle Aaron's office if you need me."_

 _Taylor nodded and followed Morgan from desk to desk._

 _Rossi smiled as Morgan took care of her. He turned and headed up the stairs to Hotch's office._

 _Since Hotch considered Rossi to be an uncle to Jack, it was only fair that it went the other way around with Taylor._

 _Morgan led Taylor around. First was Reid's desk._

 _Reid leaned forward in his chair and offered her his hand. "Hi Taylor, it's nice to finally meet you. I'm Spencer"_

 _She took his big hand in hers and shook it as best she could. "Nice to meet you." She nodded._

 _They continued to move down the line. Everybody was surprised to see Taylor again, but it didn't take a profiler to fit two and two together. This was why Rossi took his leave._

 _"When did he come back to get you?" JJ asked quietly. Her and Prentiss stood by Emily's desk, mugs of fresh coffee in their hands._

 _"Last Friday." She said quietly. The amount of people in the room had started to overwhelm her. She was happy she finally was able to formally introduce herself to everyone, but people kept looking at her with questioning glances. Why would a child be in the BAU?_

 _Morgan looked down at her and saw her fidgeting with her fingers. He set his hand on her shoulder, causing her to look up. "How about we find Rossi." He offered quietly, watching her nod. "Alright, kid, don't worry he's right up here."_

 _He led her up the stairs and to Hotch's office. He knocked on the door, waiting for the invitation. When he heard the muffled "come in" He pushed open the door._

 _Both Rossi and Hotch looked towards the door, sighing with quiet relief to see that it was only Taylor and Morgan, and not JJ with a sudden case._

 _"Hey kiddo, did you have fun?" Rossi asked. He turned in his seat to face her. She nodded enthusiastically. He chuckled and offered a small nod to Morgan. "Thanks Morgan, I owe you one."_

 _Morgan shook his head. "It's not big deal, Rossi." He crouched down. Taylor looked at him curiously. "Welcome to the family kid." He smiled at her and lightly tapped her nose, causing her to giggle._

 _Morgan saw his own way out, shutting the door behind him._

 _Hotch stood up from his seat. Taylor smiled up at him and ran over to him. She wrapped her arms around him. He chuckled quietly. "Hey T."_

 _It was amazing how she had also become so attached to Rossi's best friend. At first, she wasn't so sure. When he saw the agent side of him, it scared her, but when she saw the way that he was dealing with his own son, she realized that he wasn't as hard as she first thought. All in all, she liked him._

 _She pulled away and walked back over to Rossi. He picked her up and set her on his lap. "Did you meet everybody?"_

 _She nodded._

 _"Do you have a favorite?" He asked jokingly. Her brow furrowed. She pointed at him. He laughed and shook his head. "Other than me or Uncle Aaron."_

 _She thought for a second and shrugged. "I really like JJ."_

 _Rossi exchanged a look with Hotch. "You owe me ten." He said as Hotch sighed, the pair having bet about five minutes ago who Taylor would like the most._

 _Hotch slid the money across his desk. "Have you started school yet?" He asked, looking at the child._

 _She shook her head. "I'll start after Christmas, but yesterday, Dave enrolled me in soccer!" She said excitedly. She placed her hands on the desk and leaned forward._

 _"Wow!" Hotch smiled. "Isn't that your favorite thing, you know, in the whole world?"_

 _"The whole wide world!" She grinned. Just the thought of playing soccer got her excited._

 _Another knock sounded from the door. JJ pushed open the door and held up a file. "Sorry to break up the family gathering, but we've got a case."_

 _Rossi sighed. He was afraid this would happen. He nodded. "Hey, Hotch, I'm going to take her to your place and meet you at the airport. Brief me on the plane?"_

 _"You got it." Hotch nodded and stood up._

* * *

When he first left her to take on a case, he had made a decent effort to explain that he wouldn't have much time on his hands, but he would try his best to call her every so often. More for her sake than his. Of course he loved checking in on her and hearing about her day, but if she didn't hear a word from him in a couple days, her mind would always flash back to the trauma. She couldn't help it. He had only let that happen once during a long case with no leads.

* * *

 _Rossi wasn't used to being a parent yet. He hadn't realized how hard being away from them for so long would be. He didn't know how JJ or Hotch did it._

 _This case had been a rough one. There had been a series of home invasions where all of the inhabitants were found dead, and smiley faces were drawn on all the walls in blood. The families ranged from low to middle class, from every race. They had nothing._

 _It took them almost two days to even figure out much of a profile. This unsub just seemed to be killing for the fun of it._

 _It was during those two days that he had no time to step away. The whole team had been working frantically to find something, anything that could give them a lead. They didn't find much._

 _That night Rossi had gotten a call. He excused himself from the group and headed into the next room. "David Rossi." He answered with a sigh. He rubbed his brow and shook his head, hoping his exhaustion would fade._

 _"Dave?" Haley's sister, Jessica's, voice spoke from the other end._

 _Worry shot through him. His heart began to race, the previous thought of sleep suddenly gone. "Jess? What happened? Is Taylor okay?"_

 _"She's having a panic attack. She's been quiet for a couple hours now, but now she won't stop crying. She keeps calling for you...and her parents."_

 _Rossi's chest began to hurt. Guilt washed over him. He couldn't be there for his daughter in her time of need. He slowly lowered himself into a chair. "Can you please give her the phone?"_

 _"Yeah." Jessica voiced quietly as she went to give the phone to Taylor._

 _The seven year old was too lost to take it, so Jess put it on speaker and placed it beside her._

 _As soon as his child's soft cries hit his ears, he felt his own eyes water. He blinked and took a deep breath. "Taylor? Hey kiddo, it's me. I'm here. Everything's okay." He spoke softly. "Talk to me sweetie, please." His heart ached for her. "Everything's okay." He whispered again, wanting to do all he could to calm her. Usually when she had attacks like this he was there in person. He continued to repeat quiet words of comfort until she had quieted down._

 _She sniffled and sat up, grabbing the phone off the floor. She wiped her tears and took the phone off speaker, placing it to her ear. "I...I just...I thought.." She whimpered, her breathing uneven._

 _"Shhh it's okay kiddo, it's okay."_

 _"I thought...I thought that he got you too."_

 _Rossi's heart sank in his chest. Tears had finally fallen from his eyes. He shook his head. "He's gone Taylor, he's gone forever. He can't hurt anyone anymore."_

 _She wiped her nose and shook her head. "I was...I was just scared. I didn't want to be left alone again."_

 _"I know T, I know...I'm sorry."_

* * *

Fast forward to a month later and the BAU team was on the flight home after a case in Ottawa, Kansas. In that small of a town, you'd figure that nothing goes on, but something definitely happened.

The unsub had been using the tiny town as a place to hide his bodies. He had killed and raped two teenage girls. He displayed his kills in the center of town for all to see. He kept each woman for about a week, but as soon as the feds came into town, he killed the last one on instinct. He didn't have time to tie her up in town either. He was caught fleeing the city with a dead teenager in his truck. He did put up a bit of a fight though. Everybody except the unsub and Rossi escaped without a scratch. The unsub's death was written off as death by cop, while Rossi was only clipped by a bullet. He was fine.

As soon as they had gotten up in the air, he pulled out his phone. By now it was tradition. After every case he would call Taylor to check up on her, just like she had called him that first night. He tried to call her every night, if he had the time of course.

He first told her that he didn't want to wake her up, especially with how late they sometimes ended up on the plane. Of course she didn't care, she just wanted to make sure he made it out safe. He could understand why.

"Hey kiddo." He said quietly once she answered.

"Hey." She breathed sleepily.

"Did I wake you?" He usually always woke her, but if he didn't call her, she'd be a worried wreck until he came home.

"What? No." A failed attempt at covering a yawn could be heard through the phone.

He rolled his eyes and chuckled. "Alright T, just checking in with you kiddo. I'll get home safe and sound. I'll pick you up tomorrow. Get some sleep."


	2. Chapter 2

Rossi made it home late that night. He had promised Taylor that he would pick her up in the morning. He dropped his bag on the couch and immediately headed to his room. He sighed and slipped into bed, laying on his back to avoid laying on his wound. His shoulder ached, but it could have been so much worse. He closed his eyes and easily fell asleep.

He awoke the next morning to the familiar screech of his alarm clock. He groaned and shut it off.

It didn't take him long to get ready for the day. Hotch had given the team the day off to recuperate. He wasn't even worried about his shoulder. It just meant that he had the whole day to spend with his daughter.

He took a quick shower, dressed casually, and was out the door before nine thirty.

He arrived at Aaron's house. He stepped up to the door and knocked a few times. The door opened to reveal Jack.

The young boy was around Taylor's age.

* * *

 _Rossi came over one day with his daughter. He needed to pick something up for work and figured that he could let Taylor get used to Aaron's house. She would be spending a lot of time there anyways._

 _Hotch opened the door, stepping aside to let the two in. "Jack! Uncle Dave's here! And he brought a friend!" He called over his shoulder, figuring his son was in his room._

 _He lead his guests into the living room. Jack's footsteps could be heard coming down. Soon the small boy had his arms wrapped around Dave._

 _"_ _Uncle Dave!" He grinned. Rossi turned around and smiled down at the boy._

 _"_ _Hey kiddo." He said as he scooped the kid up into his arms. He held him up in the air, the boy giggling with glee. He pulled him in for a quick hug before setting him on the ground. He kneeled in front of Jack, blocking the boys view of his daughter. "Jack, there's someone I want you to meet."_

 _Jack nodded, craning his neck in a failed effort to peek around Dave. He looked up at his dad, confused, before focusing back on Dave. "Who?" He asked quietly._

 _Dave looked over his shoulder and held his hand out for Taylor. She grabbed onto him and slowly walked over to Jack. "This is Taylor, she's going to be here when your dad and I are out of town."_

 _Jack looked from Dave, to Taylor. He hesitated for a second before nodding, a small smile on his face. "Hi, I'm Jack, do you like soccer?"_

 _Taylor's eyes lit up and she started nodding like a madman._

 _"_ _Dad, can we go outside to play soccer?" He looked up at Aaron, who nodded._

 _"_ _Let me know if you need help setting the goals up."_

 _Jack nodded with excitement, "Come on!" He said as he headed towards the back door._

 _Taylor looked at Rossi._

 _He chuckled quietly and nodded. "Go have fun kiddo, we'll be here if you need us."_

 _She nodded and quickly followed Jack into the backyard._

 _Aaron headed up to his office with Rossi about a step behind. "That was easier than I thought." He chuckled as he grabbed the file. He handed it over to his friend. Neither of them were completely sure how the pair would react._

 _Dave nodded. "She always was outgoing."_

* * *

"Uncle Dave!" The young boy chorused, ready to jump into Rossi's arms.

Dave wasn't prepared for the sudden impact and winced, carrying the boy inside. He shut the door behind them and was about to set him down, when Aaron stepped into the hallway.

Aaron sighed, "Jack, I told you to be careful with Uncle Dave."

Jack turned to see his father and wriggled out of Dave's arms. "Sorry." He apologized quietly.

Dave had instinctively grabbed his wound. He shook his head. "It's okay kiddo, no harm done."

"Your breakfast is on the table." Aaron physically turned his son around and nudged him towards the kitchen, watching as the boy left to eat. "Sorry about that. You okay?" He looked over at his friend worriedly.

* * *

 _It's scary to think about how much of your body the vest actually doesn't cover. When you're on the job, the thought never really runs through your mind, until you actually get hit._

 _Rossi was at Hotch's side as they both continued to shoot at the unsub who had taken a failed attempt at cover._

 _Rossi didn't even notice his wound until the unsub had run out of ammo and stepped out of his hiding spot with a knife. The unsub didn't last much longer after that._

 _Dave holstered his weapon and turned to Hotch. Adrenaline had been firing through his veins for the past ten minutes. He hadn't even noticed the blood that soaked his shirt._

 _"_ _Dave."_

 _He turned around to see Hotch looking at his shoulder. "What?" He asked before following his gaze._

 _Hotch was by his side and led him to the waiting ambulance. Both of them knew it wasn't serious, but it was still a scare._

 _It only took about five minutes to patch it up, then Dave was on his way._

 _He walked back over to his team, pulling the vest from his body. "Could've been worse."_

 _Hotch sighed and nudged his good shoulder. "A lot worse, Dave." He shook his head and looked at everyone around him. "Come on, let's get out of here. Wheels up in thirty."_

* * *

"Could've been worse." Rossi teased and shrugged. He laughed quietly, watching Hotch roll his eyes. "Where's Taylor?"

"Eating breakfast." Hotch motioned with his head towards the kitchen before he turned on his heels.

Dave followed Hotch into the kitchen. Jack must have mentioned something to Taylor, because she was standing in the middle of the kitchen.

"Hey kiddo." He grinned and took a knee to meet her height. He opened his arms for her, which she happily fell in to.

She pulled away from the hug after a minute and looked him up and down. "What's wrong?" She asked quietly.

His brow knit together in confusion. "What do you mean?"

She shook her head. Her eyes continued to trace over him, trying to find anything visibly wrong. "You didn't pick me up." She poked his good shoulder before meeting his eyes once more. She looked at him with worry now. "Dave?" She voiced her concern quietly.

"I'm okay kiddo, I'm okay." He cupped her cheek, his thumb tracing back and forth against her skin. "Just a little battle scar is all." Never before had he been profiled by a seven year old. Maybe she was spending too much time with the team.

She tilted her head. "Where?"

He pointed to his shoulder. "It's nothing T, don't worry about me."

She shook her head. "Show me."

He raised an eyebrow, but nodded and began to roll up his sleeve until the gauze that covered it could be visible. There was only a small spot of red that stained the white cotton, but nothing too alarming.

She looked at it, then back up at him. She shook her head. "We're going home." She announced.

Rossi chuckled and stood up, rolling his sleeve back down. "Sweetie, I just got here. I figured you could finish eating, maybe play soccer with Jack."

She shook her head, her mind made up. "We're going home so you can rest." She walked over to Hotch and gave him a quick hug, quietly thanking him for the food while she was at it, before she headed up the stairs to grab her bag.

Dave and Aaron both exchanged a glance. Never before had this seven year old taken charge.

Aaron laughed softly. He shrugged, watching as she came back down with her bag. "I guess I'll see you at work."

She went straight up to Dave and wrapped her hand in his. "I guess so." Dave chuckled, allowing her to lead him out.

* * *

Dave unlocked the front door and pushed it open, expecting Taylor to run in like usual. She didn't. She waited for him to go in first.

He shut the door behind them and looked down at her, watching as she set her bag next to his and headed straight for the kitchen. "Didn't you just eat?"

Taylor pulled her small stool from the cabinet and set it up next to the island.

Dave had bought that for her once she said she wanted to learn how to cook. Since then they've been cooking meals together whenever he was home.

* * *

 _Dave continued to cook Taylor's meals while she set her room up. It wasn't until she was fully settled and moved in that she decided she wanted to learn how to cook._

 _It was just like any other day. She was sitting up at the island, watching as he worked in the kitchen perfectly. "Dave?" She asked quietly, not wanting to distract him from his work._

 _Dave looked over his shoulder. "Yeah, what's up kiddo?"_

 _She shrugged. "How long did it take you to learn how to cook like this?"_

 _He smiled and took the pot off the burner. "A long time. Why? Thinking of learning yourself?"_

 _She shrugged again, leaning up on the counter. "Maybe...Would you teach me?"_

 _He plated up their meals and nodded. "Of course. What do you want to learn?"_

 _"Everything!"_

* * *

She worked quickly, hopping off the stool and grabbing a few things every so often.

Every time Dave tried to ask a question about what she was doing, she either wouldn't answer or would just look at him.

In his opinion, it was adorable and funny too. He watched as she worked, making a simple breakfast of toast and bacon. When she was finished, she put away her stool and set the plate in front of him.

"Wow, this all looks delicious." He smiled at her. He took a seat at the island, and picked her up, despite the pain in his arm. He set her in his lap and kissed her cheek. "I love this, but Taylor you really didn't have to."

She nodded. "Yes I did, I need to return the favor."

He looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "Favor?"

"You saved me. It's my turn now." She pronounced happily before wiggling out of his grip and stepping back down to the floor. "When you finish, come to the living room." She nodded.

His heart melted as she walked away, proud of the small meal she had accomplished. She walked confidently and soon vanished into the living room. Lord knows what she had planned next.

* * *

He finished up his food and set the plate in the sink before following her orders and heading to the living room. What he saw was not what he expected, but then again, he wasn't even sure what he had been expecting in the first place.

A blanket fort was set up over several chairs. In about a ten minute period, Taylor seemed to have gathered all of the blankets and pillows from around the whole house and piled them into this room.

He smiled as he looked at the gigantic collection of blankets and hidden pillows. His daughter poked her head out from one of the many hanging blankets. "Well?" She asked happily, a wide smile on her face as she looked around at her creation. "Do you like it?"

"I love it. Why don't you give me a tour of your fort." He looked down at her, her bubbly personality absolutely contagious.

"Oh it's not a fort."

"Oh?"

"It's a mansion! Come on in!"


	3. Chapter 3

**(Hi I have returned and would like to finish this fic :) I missed yall)**

The day had come and went. Rossi spent it relaxing under a certain "doctor's" order, but he didn't mind.

The next morning came like any other. He woke up earlier than usual so he could accomplish everything planned.

He was able to make Taylor's lunch as well as start breakfast before she came mumbling into the kitchen.

He looked down at her and chuckled. "Good morning kiddo, sleep well?"

She nodded silently. She offered him a tired smile before she took a seat in her spot at the table.

About five minutes later, he set a plate in front of her of one pancake and a couple strips of bacon. He handed her a fork as well. He was about to head back to his room to finish getting ready for work, but Taylor spoke up.

"Dave?"

"Yeah?" He looked down at her. The small child's hair tossed and tangled from sleep.

"Can we get a dog?" She asked, looking up at him with wide eyes. "Please?"

He raised an eyebrow. He had no clue where the idea had come from. He never thought about bringing a dog into their life. With his job, it wasn't the best thing. "I don't know sweetie, dogs need a lot of attention. They're a huge responsibility."

She sat up straight. "I'm responsible! Please!"

He chuckled and shook his head. "Maybe kiddo, I'll think about it. Now eat up, we need to leave in thirty." He tapped his watch and left to finish getting ready.

* * *

Dave stepped in to work after he dropped Taylor off at school.

He passed by the team on the way to his office. He smiled and exchanged a couple "good mornings" before heading up to his office.

He sat at his desk and flipped through paperwork for about thirty minutes. Hotch knocked on his door and pushed it open, not waiting for an invitation.

"We've got a case." He nodded and left the door open as he headed to the conference room with Dave on his heels.

JJ has already laid the files out on the tables for the team as they filed in. Once everybody was settled, she started her brief. She took a deep breath, biting her bottom lip as she pressed the remote, pictures of a young boy sliding onto the screen.

"This is Preston Mackenzie. He was an eight year old boy who was murdered in his front yard last night." She presses the button again, now a picture of his body appearing. "He had three stab wounds to the abdomen."

Reid's eyes flashed over the cuts on the boys stomach. They were deep, definitely made with a knife, but these were jagged instead of straight and clean. It was possible the blade just wasn't sharp enough to make a clean cut.

Rossi fidgeted with his pen as he looked at the pictures on the screen. Cases with kids always messed with everybody, but it was different now. Taylor popped into his mind and his first instinct was to pull out his phone and call her to make sure she was okay. He fought his parental instinct and focused in as JJ continued.

"He lived about ten miles away. His parents have agreed to questions in their home." She paused, most likely due to her own child flashing through her mind. "There was another victim a week ago. She was eight. Her name was Kaitlyn Trosclair. Same stab wounds and abducted sometime during the night.

"Two kids and we're only hearing about this now?" Hotch sighed and closed his file.

"We were out when his first kill took place, we had no idea." JJ shook her head.

Hotch tapped his fingers on the table and nodded. "Rossi and Prentiss, head to the Trosclair house. Reid and Morgan take the Mackenzie's. We'll meet back in about two hours and compile a profile."

Everybody agreed.

Rossi took a second to pull his eyes from the picture of the happy eight year old on picture day just a couple weeks before. He tapped his fingers on the table.

"Dave?" Hotch repeated. He lightly touched his friend on the shoulder.

Rossi blinked and nodded. He shut the file. "Yeah, we're going." He grabbed the keys and left with Prentiss.

He was silent most of the drive, listening as Prentiss listed things from the file.

"Everything okay Rossi?" She asked quietly, looking up from the file. The older man wasn't as responsive as he usually was. She glanced over at him. It was obvious that he hadn't heard much of what she had been reading. "Rossi." She said again.

He didn't take his eyes from the road. He raised an eyebrow. "Hmm, yeah?" He finally responded as he parked on the street.

"I just asked if you were okay."

He raised an eyebrow and nodded, stepping out of the SUV. "Kids are getting murdered." He sighed quietly, shrugging. "I'm okay as I can be." He said easily.

The pair walked up to the Trosclair house.

"It's about Taylor isn't it?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

He looked at his shoes and avoided her eyes for a second before nodding. "A little…I just..cases with kids are different now."

She pursed her lips and nodded. "I can't imagine what Hotch and JJ always go through, and now you." She knocked on the door and took a step back, leaving Rossi in front.

A women who looked to be in her late thirties opened the door. Her eyes were red and puffy, her hair knotted and unkept.

"Sorry to bother you, Mrs. Trosclair, I'm Agent Rossi and this is Agent Prentiss. We were wondering if we could ask you a couple questions." They both held up their badges.

She looked at her shoes, shuffling her feet uncomfortable. "I already answered the police's questions."

"I know ma'am, we just wanted to ask you a few more." Prentiss stepped in/

She sighed, but finally gave in and stepped away from the door, leaving it open for them to follow.

She sat on the couch in the living room. The agents sat across from her.

"Ma'am, if you don't mind me asking, where is your husband?" Emily took over the talking, leaving Rossi to profile her in a sort of way.

"He's at work." She answered quietly.

"What was the last thing you and your daughter talked about?"

Tears welled in her eyes. "Um…She said she saw somebody, outside. But when I looked, nobody was there. Then I sent her to bed."

"She said somebody was outside?"

"Yes…It seemed to be a running gag for the past couple days."

"What do you mean?" Prentiss leaned forward, confused at what she meant.

"Everyday she would mention that she saw something, but my husband and I never saw anything so we just thought she was trying to make a joke." By now she was in tears, almost unable to get her words out.

Rossi and Prentiss exchanged a glance, the comment unsettling.

They apologized for any disturbance they might've caused, told her to call if she needed anything, and that they would keep in touch.

The ride back to the BAU wasn't much louder than the one before it. Now Emily was also in silence, the idea milling in her head.

* * *

The team had all returned and gathered in the conference room. Prentiss had already explained what Mrs. Trosclair had said, and how it was a little spooky and different.

Reid sat up straight. "Thats almost exactly what Mr. Mackenzie said about his son, but the similarity is scary. He said that everyday for the past couple days his son had casually mentioned seeing somebody. Wether it was at the grocery store, a his baseball game, it was always the same man."

Now the team was confused.

After a bit more of spitballing, Hotch told the group to take five and grab coffee, or food, anything to take a quick break from it.

Rossi glanced at his watch. He looked up. Right on time. His daughter walked through the door with Jack by her side.

Aaron and Dave had asked an agent to pick them up from school every Friday and give them a little time to spend in the office if they were here. They hadn't been able to be here in awhile.

Now they had a case, but it really just meant they needed to keep them away for a little until Jess came to pick them up in two hours.

Taylor ran up to Rossi and hugged him, Jack following suit. "Hey kids, how was your day?"

They both talked quickly about what they had accomplished in their day. It was a little too much for him to understand everything at once, but he got the gist.

After Hotch had also said his hello's, he asked Reid to keep the kids busy for an hour or so. "Just make them do their homework or something. Just keep them away from the case."

The team went back to looking into the backgrounds of the families and gathering all the information they could.

Hours flew by quick when you don't have any leads. It just feels like the time is slipping away. Rossi sighed and took a step away, excusing himself. He stepped into the bullpen and took a breath. His first case involving dead children. He couldn't wrap his mind around it well.

He walked over to Spencer's desk, watching as he took a pencil and filled out a piece of paper. He raised an eyebrow and looked over the paper. Taylor's name was written across the top, solved math problems covered the entire sheet. He rolled his eyes and tapped Reid's shoulder. "What are you doing?"

Reid tensed and turned in his chair, a sheepish smile on his face. "Uhhhh…homework?"


	4. Chapter 4

After Rossi caught Spencer doing his daughter's homework, he put them both in a small time out. Reid's being put back on the case to help them figure out a profile, and he dealt with Taylor by himself.

"Did you really make Reid do your homework?" He sighed, sitting in the seat that the younger agent had previously resided in.

She sat across from him, shaking her head. "He offered." She said easily.

Rossi rolled his eyes. "Okay kiddo." He took an eraser an erased the problems he knew Reid had solved. His handwriting was much different than a 7 year olds.

He stood up and ruffled her hair. "Alright T, finish it up. Jess will be here soon to take you to Uncle Aaron's okay? I'll come by later tonight." He kissed her forehead and headed back to the conference room, a fellow agent taking over the watch.

Before he took his seat, he flicked Reid in the back of the head.

"Ow!" He jumped and spun around. "What was that for?" By now the entire team had looked, confused.

"I told you to tell them to do their homework, not do it for them." He sighed, taking a seat.

Morgan snickered. He shook his head, sitting on the edge of the table. He sighed, mindlessly tapping his fingers against the wood.

They sat there for almost five hours, spitballing all of the information they had. Garcia came and went a couple times, bringing a continuous flow of information.

Around ten, Hotch called it. "Alright. Let's head home for the night. If he stays on schedule we still have a couple days before anything happens. Everybody get some sleep. Have a good night."

Despite going to the same place, Hotch and Rossi took separate cars.

The case and the concept still played in Rossi's head. How could somebody kill kids, but feel nothing and keep killing. A shiver went down his spine. He couldn't even imagine...

He pulled up at the Hotchner house right after Hotch. He had made sure the boss took his own advice and got some sleep.

He met up with Hotch, the pair stepping into the house together.

Jess greeted them with a smile. "Hey boys, rough day?" She asked quietly, easily recognizing the looks on their faces.

Hotch nodded slightly. "You have no idea." He hugged Jess and headed into the kitchen.

By now it was eleven at night. Rossi assumes Taylor would be asleep, but she always was stubborn. She sat on the couch, waiting for him to come home, to tell her he was safe.

He smiled at her and sat beside her. "Hey kiddo, you really should be in bed."

She smiled tiredly at him. "Hey Dave." She hugged his side, resting her head against his ribs. It didn't take her long to doze off.

Aaron changed from his suit into sweats and a t-shirt. He handed his friend a glass of whiskey, watching the sleeping child. Dave quietly thanked him as he took the glass, his eyes falling back to his daughter.

"You okay?" Hotch asked quietly, the worry clear as day on his friends face.

He nodded. "I'm fine...does it ever go away?"

The corner of Hotch's mouth turned up in a smile. "If you're talking about what I think you are, then no. No matter what is happening, you're always going to be worried. It doesn't get any easier."

"Parenting sucks." Rossi jokes sarcastically. He rubbed her back methodically.

At around midnight, Rossi decided to head out. He carefully took Taylor upstairs to where a room had been made up for her. He set her in bed and tucked her in. "Goodnight kiddo." He whispered. He kissed her forehead, watching as she got comfortable, sinking into the sheets.

He took his leave.

* * *

The next morning the entire team was up in the conference room before eight.

"I've been thinking," Reid started, leaning forward in his chair. "It's almost like the 'Boy Who Cried Wolf' in a way. The kid continues to cry wolf in a sense, saying they see somebody, but in reality it's nothing until it's just too late."

Everybody mulled it over for a minute. Prentiss picked it up, piggybacking. "Reid's onto something. Both the parents took it as a joke before it's too late."

Morgan scribbled 'boy who cried wolf' onto the board.

They worked for about another hour before deciding it was time to deliver the profile.

They gathered all of the agents, as well as a few local cops.

"He's patient. He waits days stalking his next victim. We aren't sure where he finds his victims in the first place, but all of his focus is on the children." Hotch started.

"His attacks are almost like the children's book the boy who cried wolf." Reid continued. "The kids continue to see him, pointing him out to their parents, but they see nothing, thinking it's a joke or a lie. In the end, instead of the wolf eating them, he stabs them, making it look like an animal could have torn into them."

"Whenever he has the child, he works quick. He finds some way to lure them outside. They go willingly. It could just be from their curiosity." Rossi picked it up. "He blends in. He's a man in his late thirties, early forties. He has to fit in so he can blend with the crowd. Wherever he first saw these kids, it had to be a crowded place for nobody else to notice him."

They finished delivering the profile and asked a couple officers to patrol heavily populated areas. Playgrounds, grocery stores, malls. They had to find out where he was hunting.

JJ televised their gathered profile. She also explained what the kids had said they saw and if they hear their kid say anything, don't be afraid to call.

They received a tip about two hours later.

A frantic mom sat on the other line. She continued to go on and on about how her child has been speaking nonsense like that for the past two days.

Rossi and Prentiss were assigned to ask her questions. They stepped into their SUV and headed that way.

"Jill Morris, she's forty, her daughter is Kate, she's six." Prentiss read through the small bit of information Garcia had sent over on the family. "Scott Morris is stationed in Jordan. He's thirty-eight."

Rossi took a left, speeding up on a straight.

"Jill says that Kate has mentioned seeing somebody the past couple days. She said it started when she picked her up from school. The second time she mentioned it was when they were leaving the grocery store."

He nodded, pulling up to the address Garcia had sent them. It was only about ten minutes from the BAU.

They stepped out and knocked on the door.

Jill Morris opened the door, distraught. "Um..Hi. Y'all must be the agents." She moved aside to let them through. They exchanged a small glance before stepping inside.

They introduced themselves and took a seat in the living room.

"Ma'am, when did you move here?" Prentiss asked nicely. The inside of her home was decorated just like how they had expected. It was a lot more country then they were used to.

Jill sat opposite them. She followed their eyes around the room and smiled shyly. "We moved from Texas almost a year ago."

Emily nodded. They began with the basic questions, but they were really just the ones that had already been asked when she called in.

"Where's your daughter now?"

"She's at a friends. She should be home in almost an hour."

Emily nodded. "Okay. We're going to put some officers outside and inside your house for the night." She explained, "They should be here within the hour and will explain the game plan from there. Rossi and I will be back for the later shift around nine."

The pair left and headed back to the BAU.

* * *

The team settled on an easy game plan. Officers inside, officers outside, an unmarked car on the street for surveillance. Rossi and Hotch would be at the back door, Prentiss and JJ sat in the car. Morgan and Reid would take the interior with a couple other officers. They had to stop him before he killed again.

By the time they arrived, the daughter was already sound asleep in her room. They switched with the officers in their positions.

Hotch and Rossi stood guard at the back, the sun already set, fresh snow on the ground. They were both bundled up in bullet proof vest and a couple thick jackets.

Rossi pushed snow around with his foot. He wanted nothing more than to catch this killer. He took a deep breath and shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Thinking about her, right?" Hotch read him like a book.

Rossi chuckled and nodded. "Always." He shrugged, their breath clouding around them. "Let's just catch this bastard so every kid is safe."

They stood outside for an hour before heading back inside to warm up, letting Morgan and Reid take their place.

They walked around the house, as quiet as possible. They split up, Rossi taking the upstairs, and Hotch the downstairs.

* * *

Once the footsteps faded, he slowly pushed open the closet door, a wide grin on his face. "You're parents didn't believe you either." He whispered, pulling his knife from its sheath. His movements towards her were slow. Before he even struck her, he unlatched the window, and locked the door.

He rushed forward, pulling his knife with him. Blood dripped to the floor, the sheets unable to hold anymore. She screamed for a second before she was gone and so was he.

* * *

Screams echoed through the house, sending chills down everybody spine. Rossi was the first on scene. He tried to turn the knob, but it wouldn't budge. The room was now deathly silent. Without even thinking he threw his injured shoulder into the door, the fire of pain spreading through his body like a wildfire.

He threw it to the back of his mind and focused on the scene in front of him, the door flying open. The rest of the team had made their way into the house, following the sound on instinct.

The window was open, fresh snow melting on the floor. The child lay in her bed. Dead.


	5. Chapter 5

**(Strong language warning)**

The air was thick in the bedroom, heavy with blood. Rossi turned and took a step out. He pulled his phone and called down a fresh team of officers down here.

He held his shoulder, biting his lip as fresh blood trickled down his arm, soaking his shirt. He leaned against the wall, taking a moment to gather himself.

Hotch followed him to the living room. "You okay?" He asked quietly, looking his friend up and down.

Rossi nodded, dropping his hand. "I'll be fine...How the hell did he get in? We had every entrance covered, Hotch. It doesn't make sense." He quickly switched the topic from him to the little girl dead in the bedroom.

Hotch shook his head, "He had to have already been inside. He could've slipped in when you left the first time. You said her daughter was at a friends house."

Jill Morris sat on her couch, her head in her hands. Her body shook as she cried, completely broken. She had lost her daughter when she had been promised that they would be safe.

The two agents shared a mournful glance before they went their separate ways. Hotch headed back upstairs, leaving Rossi to deal with the grieving mother. Before he reached her, another agent cut him off.

"Her husband's in the navy sir. We called his officer and he's in his way back." The man was tall and thin, his face decorated with a brown goatee. He offered a mournful smile, adjusting his 'NCIS' cap on his head. He pocketed his phone, and headed out the door.

Rossi returned to his mission. He offered her a quiet greeting. He sat opposite her, resting a gentle hand on her knee. He spoke quietly, choosing his words carefully.

Hotch headed back upstairs. Morgan stepped away, shaking his head in disbelief. "The windows open, that's how he got out, could be how he got in too." He sighed, running a hand over his head. "He had to have slipped in when Prentiss and Rossi left the first time."

Hotch nodded, pushing his way into the bedroom. The closet door hung wide open, a few fallen shirts piled on the floor. He crossed his arms and thought, ignoring all the bustle around him.

He stood alone for awhile. No one bothered him as he thought out the scene in front of him. The only thing that pulled him out, was the screaming downstairs.

He easily snapped out of it and pushed past everybody. He hustled down the stairs, watching as the broken mother tore into Agent Rossi.

"You have no fucking idea how I'm feeling. Y'all promised me you'd keep my daughter safe. Y'all promised and now she's lying in her own bed, dead. She was murdered under your watch and you're trying to fucking empathize with me?" By now she was shaking, tears pouring out of her eyes. She had stood up, rage coursing through her veins, but now as it was fading; she returned to her seat, rushed with emotions. Her head hung in her hands, defeated.

Hotch grabbed Rossi's arm, pulling him away from the scene. "What did you say to her?" His hard voice came out harsher than he intended.

"I didn't say anything. Hotch really." He shook his head. "She asked questions, so I answered."

Hotch didn't look convinced. He crossed his arms. "Take a second, Dave. Head back upstairs and help Morgan."

Rossi took a step back and shook his head. "No, Hotch...I can't go back up there."

Hotch tilted his head, looking at him. "Dave," he sighed and grabbed his friend's arm, leading him outside. "Why not? I need you up there. I need you focused right now." The cold air caused both of them to stiffen.

"Aaron, please. Let me talk to Mrs. Morris. Give me five minutes." He crossed his arms, wincing slightly, causing Hotch's worried gaze to pass over him.

Hotch sighed quietly. "It's Taylor, isn't it?" He said quietly, the pair lost in the background compared to all of the officers moving around them.

Dave nodded, a shiver passing over his spine. "Yeah. A little." He shook his head. "It just reminds me of when I took her away from it all, you know?"

Hotch nodded slowly. "I get it Dave, believe me, I do, but you have to focus. I need you here, not at home." He held his friend by the shoulders, catching his eyes. "She'll be okay. Focus here Dave."

Rossi took a deep breath and nodded.

"Now get that shoulder looked at before you talk to her." He said as he pushed Rossi in the general direction of the ambulance.

* * *

Rossi took the ten minutes to get his shoulder wrapped up.

"You really need to take a day off or something Dave." The paramedic sighed, tying off the bandage. He helped Rossi pull his sleeve back down, the wind already leaving goosebumps on his skin.

Rossi sighed. "I know, but the cases don't just stop, Steve, and you even know that."

Steve, the paramedic, used to be an FBI agent himself awhile back. He had chosen to switch to the EMT life after his own life threatening gun battle.

He offered Rossi a small, tired smile. "I know Dave, just take it a little easy."

* * *

Rossi headed back into the house. Mrs. Morris still sat on the couch. Prentiss sat beside her, comforting her with her light touch. She met his eyes and nodded, slowly standing up and heading back into the crowd of cops. They needed to figure out a plan of action.

Rossi took a seat beside her. "Mrs. Morris." He started softly. "I really want to apologize for before." When she didn't move, he continued. "I have a daughter," he began, shaking his head. "I cannot imagine, even remotely understand what you feel right now."

Mrs. Morris had turned to him now, fresh tears falling down her face. She didn't want to be the center of attention anymore. "Wh..what's your daughter's name?" She asked quietly, playing with her fingers.

"Taylor." He said easily, the two of them starting a quiet conversation, taking her mind away for a second.

* * *

It was past midnight now. Hotch told the team to go home, clean up, and get it the next day. They now had a place for the unsub to scope out his next victim. The Elementary school.

Monday morning they would get a group together in the school and scope it out, blending in with the other adults in the school. They would stay in the hallways, cafeteria, as well as watch recess. They were going to see if any teacher heard their students mentioning an unknown adult, or mentioned anything similar to the other kids.

* * *

Rossi sat in his car. He sighed heavily, the image of the small girl in her bed continuing to flash behind his eyes. He ran a hand through his hair, wanting nothing more than to see his own girl right now.

He glanced at the clock. It was already past one in the morning and she had school the next morning. He debated going home, but he knew his kid wanted to see him too.

He drove the quick couple minutes to Hotch's house. He parked his car on the street and headed in. He had been given a spare key, thankful for the families kindness in letting his daughter spend time here when they were out on cases. He never did express his gratitude enough.

He unlocked the door and headed up the stairs to his daughters room. All the lights were off in the house so he assumed everyone was sleeping. Hotch's car wasn't here either.

He carefully pushed open her door. Even though his eyes weren't used to the light, he saw her small form curled up in the twin bed. He froze, waiting, watching the slow rise and fall of her side. He released the breathe he was holding and slowly toed off his shoes. He slipped off his jacket and draped it over the head of the bed.

She shifted in her sleep, the slight shadow over her causing her to stir. She blinked, looking up at the man standing above her. "Dave?" She murmured.

"Hey kiddo. Hey. Sorry I didn't mean to wake you." He whispered back.

She scooted over, her back facing him, leaving him room.

He smiled slightly and slid in the small bed beside her. He opened up his arm, allowing her to turn and rest her head on his chest. She easily fell back asleep as if she hadn't even been woken up in the first place.

Rossi settled in beside her, his heart already beating out of his chest. He couldn't stop thinking about her all day. Hotch was right though. He needed to get his focus back on the case. He took a deep breath, trying to turn his mind off.

* * *

Aaron quietly knocked on Taylor's door, Jess having asked him if he could wake her up so she could get ready for school.

The team decided to end up meeting at the school around nine, giving everyone a chance to recuperate. This also gave him a little time, and a chance to drive his own kid to school.

He pushed open the door, the image in front of him causing him to stop in his tracks.

Rossi laid in the small bed, his adopted daughter laying on top of him; her face buried in his chest. Their breathing had slowly fallen in sync during the night.

Aaron smiled, not wanting to disturb them, but Taylor really needed to get ready for school. He shook Rossi first. "Dave." He said easily.

The older man blinked, groaning quietly, not wanting to get up so early. All he wanted to do right now was sleep the day away.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty!" He chuckled quietly, watching Taylor shift and open her eyes as well.

Rossi wrapped his arms around Taylor. "Good morning, kiddo." He smiled slightly as she returned his hug with weak, tired arms.

"Good morning." She mumbled. She smiled softly and crawled over him to get out of bed and get ready for the day.

"Breakfast is waiting for you downstairs." Hotch said easily. She mumbled a quiet "Thank you," before heading downstairs.

Hotch smiled at Rossi. "When did you get here?"

Rossi rolled his eyes and threw his legs over the edge of the bed. He stretched and stood up. "Before you. You didn't see my car?"

Hotch shrugged, not wanting to talk about the time he actually got home.

"Busted." Dave said easily, playfully nudging Aaron's shoulder before following Taylor down the stairs.


	6. Chapter 6

**(Sorry for the slow updates y'all. Ya girl just got to college and had orientation :) hope y'all enjoying! Updates in general are going to slow down a little since I have morning workouts at 5, class till 12, then practice till around 5, buttttt that doesn't mean I'm not going to do my best to post as much as I can :) Love yall!)**

Rossi took Taylor to school that morning. He was quiet for awhile, trying to figure out how he wanted to phrase everything.

"Why are you taking me to school Dave. Did you solve the case?" She spoke up before he could.

He smiled at her and shook his head. "Not yet sweetie, we're working on it, but we don't have to work until later so I can take you. Also, a couple of the team will be at your school today."

"Why? Is the killer there?" Her eyes grew wide with fear.

"No kiddo no! We just need to scope out a few things. Nobody's going to hurt anyone, we're just looking for a path to follow."

"So that means?" She asked quietly, grabbing her backpack as he pulled into a parking spot.

"We're just looking for clues, so if you see anything weird, let an dull know." He smiled at her, stepping out of his car. He kneeled in front of her, brushing her hair behind her ear. "If you don't feel comfortable telling a teacher, ask to be excused and come find one of us okay?"

She nodded eagerly. "So I get to play FBI?" She said with a small smile.

He chuckled quietly, "Sure kiddo. Today you get to play FBI." He smiled at her and stood up, offering her his hand.

She happily took it and matched her pace with his. "Does this mean you can take me to soccer practice later too?" They stepped into the school, heading through the front office.

"I'm not sure yet kiddo, I'm going to try, okay?" He walked her into the hallway after checking in at the front desk.

She nodded, walking with him to her classroom. He squeezed we hand and let go of it, kneeling again. "Have a good day kiddo, okay?" He kissed her forehead. She wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I'll see you later Dave!" She smiled before heading into her classroom.

* * *

The team met in the Conference room.

Hotch quickly went over the plan. "Everybody's going to take a hallway. Kindergarten through fifth grade." He began listing off the names. "Rossi, take first graders. Everybody make sure you follow the kids to the lunchroom and to recess. Wherever the group goes, so do you. Make sure your eyes are on them at all times."

Rossi nodded. He crossed his arms over his chest. His heart raced slightly. The idea of the killer being near his daughter's school caused his stomach to twist. School's were supposed to be one of the safest places in society.

They split up, each taking their own separate hallways. Hotch was assigned to the second graders, so him and Rossi matched each other's pace, walking towards the opposite side of the school.

"Let's catch a killer." Hotch said easily, splitting off into his own hallway before Rossi had a chance to respond. He nodded and stepped down the first grade hallway.

* * *

Of course Taylor was in first grade, so Dave assumed Hotch let him have it so he could keep an eye on her, but also learn to keep his focus on the case.

His hands found his pockets. He slowly walked through the hallway, getting a feel if where everything was located. One bathroom in the middle of six classrooms. According to Taylor, each class only had about twenty-five students, but that meant that there was a hundred and fifty students, maybe more, that he would have to keep his eyes on.

He looked at the art that decorated the walls. The plain white was decorated with vibrant colors of construction paper, each decorated differently. Crayons, glitter, markers. Every child had their own style. The wall across from the drawings was covered with many hand prints. Each was a different color than the next, with a name written on the palm in sharpie.

He raised an eyebrow, eyes following the display. Taylor never told him anything about this. He walked slower than before, searching.

After about five minutes of being lost in all the names and colors, he found it. A small, blue handprint stood near the top of the wall.

 _Taylor Rossi_

Her name was written boldly, standing out across the blue.

He smiled. Out of curiosity, he pressed his own hand against it, his almost twice the size.

* * *

It was around eleven now. The kindergarteners has just gone to recess, which went that the first graders were next in the lunchroom.

He stood near the wall, watching the tsunami of kids shuffle their way past, completely oblivious to the agent. They were all lost in their own conversations.

He followed at the back with the small group of teachers. They were all younger females, smiling at him as he introduced himself as "Agent Rossi."

A teacher with long brunette hair shook his hand. "You're Taylor's dad?" She asked easily, watching him nod. Her smile widened. "It is so great to meet you in person. She talks about you all the time."

Rossi rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh, really?" His lips turned up into a smile. He really wasn't sure what to say.

"Yes sir! She said you've really changed her life. From what I hear, you must be a great dad."

He smiled. "Thank you. Thats great to hear." His smile was bright. It was one that was usually foreign on his face, until the day he adopted Taylor. Everyday he shared with his daughter after that, it showed up occasionally.

She smiled at him, the pair following everybody into the cafeteria.

The children were mostly already sat, opening their lunchboxes, some already eating, as well as the small line of students who needed to purchase their food.

He continued to carry on a quiet conversation with his daughter's teacher, learning that her name was Abigail Sandlin. They spoke quietly, walking up and down the many tables. He kept his eyes peeled, focusing more on the task at hand. He had to ask her to repeat a couple questions since he had accidentally tuned her out.

Lunch was over in thirty minutes. He hadn't seen anything in the cafeteria, and so far no kids have reported anything. The day was only halfway over, but it wasn't looking promising. This unsub had to have gotten a whiff of their plan.

* * *

The playground wasn't giant, but all of the kids managed to fit on it. There were the basic slides, small jungle gym, castle, swings, nothing too crazy.

Again Rossi walked the perimeter, hands in his pockets. Nothing seemed out of place. Kids having fun, one or two crying, children chasing each other, the usual playground environment.

He was getting frustrated. They needed to find something.

* * *

The school day was over and the team was meeting in the conference room.

Taylor and Jack were both asked to wait patiently. They were seated on a couch in the Principal's office and given a couple pieces of paper to draw on.

A couple of the teachers joined the team.

Nobody had heard anything. No children reported anything out of the ordinary.

"This unsub has to know our plan. He hasn't shown up to scope out his next victim, and he was somehow ahead of us at the Morris household. He knew what we were planning." Morgan spoke up, arms crossed over his chest.

There was a hint of tension in the room. Nobody was upset with each other, they were just so frustrated. Nobody seemed to be able to figure out what the unsub's next move was and it was wearing on them.

"If he knows, there's got to be a leak." Prentiss shook her head.

"He could be a friend of the families." Reid started. "Maybe his whole goal isn't to hurt the kids, but to hurt the parents for what they've done."

"But that would mean three totally different families would have to know the same person." She returned.

He nodded, pursing his lips as he thought.

"What if his own kid goes to this school?" Rossi, who was leaning against the table, spoke up. "He could see kids when dropping off or picking up his own. Maybe he lives nearby, runs through when kids are at recess. We are right in the middle of a neighborhood. People jog by or drive by all the time. It doesn't take a rocket science to figure out when certain grades are at recess."

Hotch nodded. "I think you're onto something Dave." He thought for a second. "We'll put some patrols around the neighborhood, see if we find anything." He turned the the group of people that had accumulated. "Thank you all for your time today, we will be in touch with anything we figure out."

Hotch and Rossi waited for the room to clear out before heading to grab their kids.

The two sat on the couch coloring.

"Well well, there you two are." Hotch smiled, crouching beside his son. "Whatcha working on, Jack?"

The boy smiled at his father and showed him the dinosaur he had been coloring with many different purples and reds.

"Wow. That is awesome Jack, What about you T, what'd you color?" Rossi looked down at his daughter, her bright smile contagious.

She held up her colored page. It was the same exact page given to Jack, except she had decided to color it with orange and blue. She made the dinosaur orange and drew a soccer jersey on it in blue.

She put her crayons down and turned to him. "Does this mean you can take me to practice?" She asked excitedly.

He glanced at Hotch, watching the younger man nod. He looked back at Taylor. "Sure kiddo, grab your stuff and we can go."

* * *

Taylor practiced only about fifteen minutes away from the school, but she always liked to be early.

They were about halfway there when she spoke up.

"A man was looking at me today."


End file.
